September 6, 2022
Sekai Chideya, M.D., M.P.H.
Wendy J. Weber, N.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-termInitiative, or NIH HEAL Initiative, has released two funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) to support large-scale clinical trials on sickle cell disease (SCD) pain management. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) will lead this program in partnership with nine NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs). The funding opportunities are expected to support up to three large-scale trials.
Sickle Cell Disease: A Neglected and Urgent Research Priority
About 100,000 Americans, primarily of African descent, have SCD, an inherited illness in which abnormally formed hemoglobin triggers red blood cells to become sickle shaped. In this shape, they stick to blood vessel walls, block normal blood flow to organs throughout the body, and cause serious damage. Adults with the most severe forms of SCD have an average life expectancy that is 20 to 30 years shorter than that of people without SCD.
